Wallace Family

Asher

2010-02-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

Latest pics of our littlest Wallace...

Play time...he always makes us laugh.

Bath Time. He only seemed interested in eating as many bubbles as possible...

With Auntie Lori, then with Mom at the park.

We're Still Here!

2010-02-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, so much has happened since our last post. Christmas, Joshua turned 6, and Hannah turned 4, Lori & Nancy visited, and so much more. Let's get started. Christmas was fun, we spent it here in Maricopa, and Jared & Kristin came to spend it with us. We had so much fun talking and hanging out, & just spending time together. We got to meet their dog name Moo; he is really sweet. I also learned that Jared is connected to him at the hip (sorry Jared, but it's true :)). He is a great dog, and we really loved him coming along. We also got to celebrate Jared's 30th birthday here! Wooo hooo, it was fun to witness someone turning into a geezer.

Jared's 30th Birthday!

Benson's Christmas ties

Don't leave a 3 yr. old alone with a camera, this is what happens!
Soon after Christmas was Hannah's 4th birthday on January 4th, and she certainly loved that it was her birthday! Among her gifts was a new bike which she loves; it's covered with Disney Princesses & of course it's pink. Funny enough the helmet we already had for her matched it perfectly. She calls it her Princess, not her Princess bike, just "Princess". It also came with a small backpack that Velcros to the front handle bars & I mistakenly called it a bag. "It's looks more like a purse, so I call it a purse" she said. I had to laugh at that one.

Joshua wasn't far behind, his birthday is January 21st and he turned 6 this year. He also got a bike and loves it just as much. He & Hannah ride as much as possible and are quite fast.

I walk a 2 mile loop and was thinking that it would be great to ride my bike and carry Asher in a sling, while Hannah rode her bike along with me. After seeing her stamina on shorter rides, we tried the 2 mile loop together. You might not know but my bike is from the 5o's and only has one gear, and it's also kinda hard to ride far distances on it, so I was taking the loop at a nice slow pace. It took her about 3 seconds to decide that I was going far too slow and she took off. She followed all the rules I set out, she just went as fast as she could. I'm not proud to say that I was actually trying hard to keep up with her. My favorite part was her sporadic squeal at the top of her lungs "WEEEEEEEEE WEEEEEEEEE" as her little iridescent streamers blew in the wind. I also loved her ringlet ponytail blowing from the constraints of her helmet, and her enormous smile. What a fun time! A memory I hope never to forget.

Joshua spends most of his days at school, so it's me, Hannah & Asher for most of the day. I do miss my Joshua, but he is learning so much at Legacy. He is a great reader, he can add & subtract, and identify adverbs, nouns, etc. all in kindergarten! Wooo hooo! Legacy has an accelerated academic program that I am thoroughly pleased with, I can't say enough about it! The school district here has kids reading at 8 yrs., needless to say I'm glad we have nothing to do with that. He is such a good big brother, and he still loves his cars as well. Some days, I just want to hide them, but he knows exactly where he's left them, so I let him play as down time after school.

Hannah is aching to go to school, she asks so often when she can go too. With Benson & Joshua going together, she does feel a bit left out at times. Although sometimes after school when I'm picking up Joshua, Benson will let them both stay and play with other children (faculty's kids) until he's finished, and she loves that. Hannah also loves to help me with Asher. When he cries, she'll give him his pacifier or bottle, or play with him. I have to admit, it's great! She's my little helper with everything now. She's excited that she got to start primary this year, and she's in primary at the same time as Joshua.

All the kiddies are growing so fast, the oldest two went through 2 sizes of clothes just during the summer alone, and have moved on to their third this year. Asher is already in size 12m, he's definitely our little chunker-wooo hooo, finally got one!

Benson's loving work as usual, and the kids love him! Could it be that he acts like one of them? I don't know, but that's my guess. He often gets the kids in trouble when he's home, engaging them in off limits behavior or activities (sorry to rat you our Hun). But how can I get mad when he's just so darn cute and sweet to make up for it? In all seriousness, he does do quite a lot for the school, they love him and we love them! Maricopa is so perfect for us (except for the excruciatingly horrid summers).

Now onto my life. I got bit by an Arizona recluse while sleeping and it was a dreadful experience. It's been about a month now, and I still have swollen, achy ankles. Upon first being victimized by the insect, I had to make a visit to urgent care. I was dizzy, nauseated, and my joints really hurt; oh and I had a migraine, and my whole body ached. It wasn't fun. After getting 3 Rx scripts I felt a bit better, but soon had to make a trip to the ER. I couldn't walk without extreme pain and it felt like I had a severe flu coupled with severe arthritis. Not fun for me. I left with 4 more Rx's to fill. I was down for a week on percocet, steroids, and antibiotics. At least, the spider could have paid a little rent while he was here or for some meds, seriously!

Well, that's about all, so tune in next time!

Asher's 4-Month

2009-12-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

Today was Asher's four month check up and he's grown quite a bit. He measures 25.5 inches long and weights over 15 lbs. Joshua was that big at his year mark. Asher is in the 90 percentile for all his measurements, no wonder he fits in 9-12 month clothes!

Pictures

2009-12-03T23:32:00.000-08:00

Hannah hanging out at Daddy's game- Go LegacyLions!

Joshua and Asher

Asher

Great News!

2009-11-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

After re-reading my last post it seems obvious to me now that I was really excited that we've been so blessed to be here, and I hope that it didn't come off as bragging :/. Anywho I'm just so stinkin' excited about Joshua and his progress this year in school. He's already doing addition, and reading books by himself. When I was in kindergarten I remember melting crayons on foil over a hot plate and practicing staying in the lines as we colored. Times have really changed, and it was a public school. Anyway, he's really been excelling in all areas. I'm so proud of him because he was so obviously behind before, especially socially. He hasn't had any therapy since April, but seems to be doing great with just school instead-what a relief! Also he appears more and more as a typical child too, Hannah as well. What a blessing to be here, Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need, even if one does have to move to the desert to get it :).

I just had to share my excitement & I hope you are all well!

Kindergarten

2009-11-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Joshua has been very busy this school year learning so many new things. He attends school at the Charter where Benson teaches and I have been nothing but completely satisfied. It's called Legacy Traditional School, and focuses on patriotism and advanced academics. Aside from me loving the administration and faculty, Joshua & Benson do too. Joshua has many friends, peer age, and many lady staff, faculty and administration friends who adore him. They love his hugs and conversations. His favorites are his principal Dr. Croatt, and his teacher Mrs. Voyles. Both of which are absolutely awesome, (not to mention little hottie moms :) ).

I'm very excited about the curriculum and that he's been able to keep up and excel at it too. They're learning to read, learning addition, subtraction, counting in multiples and give an oral presentation every six weeks. He loves to learn and is so excited about socializing. His teacher sent a note home and said that a little group of girls save him a seat everyday at the lunch table. he's little Mr. social now which is great, since it used to be the opposite last year.

We love it here, the people were/are so welcoming & helpful from the start, the school is amazing, and the cheap housing makes life on a teacher's salary wonderful. We are grateful that we have been so blessed in these ways, it makes living in the desert so much easier :).

What We've Been Up To

2009-10-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

We've been busy with Asher's blessing, family visits, and fun in general (other than being sick :)). We have a ton of pics, but until we receive them from various family members, I'll post my latest favorite picture of our little man Asher. He is seriously adorable with his little old man look, and his smile always brightens the moment. We've been blessed with a relatively easy baby with a great temperament, like Joshua's, but happier if that's possible. I'm thanking my lucky stars!

Marathon Post

2009-10-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've unloaded the pics off my camera...wow, it was full! So sit down and buckle up cause' here we go...

Loving on Asher

First day of Kindergarten at Legacy Traditional School (El Conditioning School to Joshua).

Playing at a park in Tucson! We made a record fast road trip to test out our second car! Brooke, I need your number!

Joshy & Daddy

Our Second Car

Tucson

Our Recycling is as big as me!

Second Car

2009-09-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

We finally got a second car, which really saved my sanity! Between Benson's obligations & the rest of the family it was impossible to survive on one. I'm not excited about having a car payment again or a higher insurance payment, but it's worth it. Funny but it's not at all what we wanted (or thought we wanted) or would have considered, but we looked at it anyway and ended up buying it. It's a Mazda 5. It's a little smaller than a mini van, seats 6, and gets 21 miles to the gallon. All pluses since we live outside of the city. The back seats fold down and it sits on the chassis of the Mazda 3 so it handles like a sports car-I love how it drives and how it turns on a dime. It's a pearl white, with a black interior, and has the option of driving as an automatic or manual. We like it, and the kids love having a bigger car as much as we do.

Thank You!!!

2009-09-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to all of our friends and family! We've had so much support and prayers from you during a difficult time for us with Asher and we love you for it. Asher has only had a few episodes since all of the prayers for us started, instead of multiple times per day- a true blessing. I think it's because we had so many people praying for us & him that he is doing so well, and we thank you for it. Thank you for being there for us, we love you!!!

Update on Asher

2009-09-02T12:28:00.001-07:00

Great news!!! Asher doesn't have a seizure disorder. He has muscle spasms that look like seizures, but have no impact on electrical brain activity-luckily! It has some really long name & is suppose to correlate with a familial seizure disorder history, but we don't have any history with seizures. It's strange how closely it mimics a seizure though; all the classical infant seizure signs-weird huh? What a relief!!!

Update on Asher

2009-08-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your prayers concerning Asher, they were definately felt!

My main concerns as you might know are that during the EEG Asher wouldn't have seizures and they wouldn't be able to make an informed diagnosis, but this is what happened. The night before the EEG Benson was working late so I stayed up with Asher while he refused to sleep until 4:45 am. I wasn't too happy or excited, but he was really fussy, and wouldn't stay asleep.

We arrived at the hospital at 8am and Benson took Joshua & Hannah to the cafeteria while I stayed with Asher. The tech taped 19 little wires on his head & then wrapped it up with gauze so they would stay in place. He asked me to let him know when I thought he was having a seizure so that he could document it. A few minutes into the testing his left arm started to twitch for a few seconds at a time for about 3 minutes, and then it stopped. About 5 minutes later his whole body started convulsing uncontrollably and it looked to me like a grand mal seizure. It lasted for 7 minutes as his little body & head jerked everywhere. Normally I would be crying uncontrollably, but I felt calm, and just held him. I've never seen him have a seizure that bad or for that long before, but I was glad that it happened there. It was then that the thought came to me that the reason he was so fussy the night before and his refusal to sleep was probably an answer to prayers so that he would be very tired (the more tired, the better chance of having a seizure) the next morning. If what he's experiencing are seizures, then they will be sure to catch it with his performance during the EEG. After the observation period I had to wake him up and they tried to hake him have a seizure by flashing a bright light directly into his face. It was actually a wand with about 100 LED lights on it that flashed like a strobe light, and got faster with each interval; he didn't really like that much, but he didn't have a seizure during it either.

The tech said that he'd have the report to Asher's Dr. by the end of the week, and we have an appointment with her next Tuesday. I checked out the website of the NIMH, and it said that to have an absolute diagnosis that he would also have to have an MRI on his brain as well.

Thank you very much for your prayers, especially at this time!

Love,The Wallaces

Asher's Seizures

2009-08-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd let everyone know that we're taking Asher in for an EEG in the morning. He's been having seizures everday. His pediatrician said that if I hold his limbs down and the jerking doesn't stop that they are most likely seizures. I hold him very tight and they don't stop. The outlook isn't good for infants and seizures. It can mean a variety of things from perinatal asphyxia (lack of oxygen during the birth process that causes brain damage), Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (severe epilepsy), to uncurable tumor growth on his organs, and brain. I'm trying not to be so doom and gloom about it, but I have to admit, I'm a bit scared. When it first happened I knew he was having a seizure, and it freaked me out. I just hope that they catch it, because they only observe for a little while. I don't want them to miss them. We're used to the curve balls by now with our kids, I'm just glad I knew what to look for. Heavenly Father knows everything!!!

Please keep him in your prayers.

Rolling Over

2009-08-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today Asher rolled over for the first time! We thought it was a fluke, so we tried it again and again, and he rolled over 4 times!!! We're proud of our little Arizona baby!

More Asher

2009-08-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics of Asher, he's definately keeping us busy! It is so wonderful to have Grandma here, she is such a big help to us!!!

Asher hanging out with Mom

Asher's Alarm

Asher ready to go home

Asher not so happy

Asher is Here!!!

2009-08-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome Baby Asher!!! Asher was born by C-section weighing 9lbs. 2oz. & 21 inches long on Saturday August 8, 2009 at 10:32pm. I was admitted @ 2pm & at induced @ 6pm. My Dr. discovered that I had preeclampsia, started me on several meds, and then broke my water to help move things along. After she broke my water, she couldn't get Asher's heart rate to stabilize, so they rushed me in for a c-section. I was so loaded on meds that it wasn't bad at all, but Benson however looked scared. Later when I asked him about it he said he was worried about how I would take it. I was out of it for about 15 hours after, just up in the clouds a bit. After that it was fun to enjoy Asher and family. Luckily my Mom flew in Saturday morning so she could be with the kids while we went to the hospital. It's been fun with Grandma Lindy here and with our new little addition. Asher has a good set of lungs and passed all his tests with flying colors (something I was worried about). He is a mix I think, but resembles Joshua & my brothers quite a bit. A little cutie with a bit of attitude.

Baby?

2009-08-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I'm being induced @ 7:30am!!! So excited, but I hope that I respond to the drugs or I get sent home :(. If I get sent home, I'm jumping on the trampoline until my water breaks...hmmm, not a bad idea in all seriousness. Asher has been moving a lot the last few days; so much that it hurts at times. Maybe he got the signal to come out-but, who knows huh? My Mom flys in tomorrow morning as well, so I'm really hoping that it happens even more. Today is my official due date, tomorrow is my Uncle's B-day, and Sunday is Benson & I's father's B-Days. So he gets to share a day with family! Please pray that he comes, I need all the help I can get :). We love you all and will keep you posted on any news!

Ok...I'll post when he comes

2009-07-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Well...today's Dr. visit was very unfruitful! I had a new Dr. who said I wasn't dilated enough to be induced. She said that she wouldn't let me go past 42 weeks and I just thought "yeah, you're crazy if you think I'm going that far :)." In Idaho I would have been induced already, but Arizona is very different. They're so many prego women and not a lot of hospital space to accommodate, so you wait until it happens on it's own most of the time-so I am told (unless it's dangerous for mom or baby). My friend told me that she was at a 5 with her 4th child and she had to wait in the hospital's waiting room just to get into labor & delivery triage. After l & d triage you wait until you get a l & d room depending on how far along you are compared to all the other women. I've never heard of such a crazy thing. She said they're were about 5 other girls in the waiting room crying in pain to get into triage as well, to be put on a list to get into l & d. I'm in for a treat because my Dr. only delivers at the same hospital as my friend went to-lol. With Joshua coming a month early and Hannah 2 weeks, I thought for sure Asher would be here by now, but he'll probably be right on time :). I need to learn patience in this, I think I'm victim to the humbling process at the moment, but it never hurt anyone.

OK...No!

2009-07-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

Well...I have to say that I am soooooo tired of Dr. visits!!! I went again today hoping to be induced, but found out that I could not because I was one day too early. The hospital policy states that a woman has to be 39 weeks to be induced, not 38 weeks and 6 days! So mean! I told them I'd come back at midnight, but they said to come back in the morning & if I was far enough along that they'd induce me. Asher is so huge, I'm going to make them...urgh...mean words to them! OK, sorry for all the frustration, but my Dr. told me that things were one way and to find out that they are indeed not. Really...one shouldn't upset huge, prego women in the summer in Arizona, it's just not safe!

Baby News!!!

2009-07-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I had yet another Dr. Apt. today and I have progressed to a 3...SOOOOO exciting!!! Also, my Dr. will get me started by Thursday if nothing has happened yet. The baby is also getting quite big-he's measuring 8lbs. 2oz. I didn't know how they guessed the babies weight until today, they just measure his femur and that tells them. It's not 100% accurate...thankfully (I'm hoping Asher is going to be smaller than predicted). Anywho...I'm so excited!!!

A Little Hot

2009-07-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been hot lately, but it's suppose to be 114 today, 110 tomorrow, and 114 on Wednesday! That's a bit much for me. If I had the baby today, I could stay in an air conditioned hospital while the heat was here :)!

No Baby Yet

2009-07-27T00:19:00.001-07:00

OK, I have to admit that I'm a little frustrated with this little boy...he's not willing to come out. Each day I think, "just a few more days and he'll be here," but who knows, maybe he'll be a really late baby-that would be a terrible thing to do to his mother. I have to laugh, because I have no control over his timing, yet I would love to have some say in when he comes :). My contractions are only wimpy things, and I find that most my days are spent lying down to avoid the pain of him being so low. Oh well huh? Mothers are blessed for what they do, and babies aren't like a fast food order-luckily :). I'll keep you posted on his arrival, which I hope is soon!

More Baby News!

2009-07-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

OK, Benson took the kiddies swimming so I have a few minutes to post. I had a Dr. visit today and things are looking better than they were last week. After 8 blood draws & many bruises later, I found out that I don't have gestational diabetes, but at times I my sugars are out of whack. She still wants me to live like I have it, but I prefer that to the former variable any day!

Also, Jacob is measuring in the 90th percentile, instead of the 99th which is also great; he's not growing too fast anymore. He's only slowed down his growing pace a little, but I'll take it!

And lastly, I am dialated to a 2. The CNP who I saw said that it's normal to be dialated to a 1 or 2 a month before delivery. What she should have asked instead is: "Is that normal for you." My water broke with Joshua when I was at a 1, and with Hannah, I delivered 2 weeks after I was at a 1. I just smiled because she was kind of a know it all, and thought to myself, he's coming.

I've been having contractions for about 2 weeks which she said was normal; I guess they got me to a 2. I do have them everyday, not too bad, but they aren't a piece of cake either. We'll see what happens!

Oh, this is his latest photo shoot!

Baby Today!

2009-07-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to say that I feel much better today. I did go to the Dr. which went all right, other than it was a 2 hour appointment with the kids. Surprisingly the kids were near angels and it wasn't that bad having them tag along. They got to hear baby's heart beat and see baby in an ultrasound, which Joshua loved. Each time Joshua saw my belly for the testing his eyes got really big and he stared at it-I laughed cause' he seemed so shocked, but I guess he doesn't see it much.

The verdict is that I have to do more lab work and that I have to have 2 ultrasounds a week until that baby comes (he's going to have a serious collection of ultrasoud photos and DVD's cause' they give them to me at every appointment). Not to be morbid, but the ultrasounds are to help prevent a stillbirth, among other things. I have a strict diet, and will be given new meds after the lab work comes in & is reviewed.

I still haven't sewed any blankets yet, it's terrible I know. The fabric just stares me in the face & makes me feel guilty. I've been swamped with baby, and getting the kids & myself set up with services, and being the CEO of this household-lol, but seriously, moving is SO bitter sweet.

On a neutral note: we love it here; it feels like home, but the heat is starting to come out in full force now. Just this week it was 109, 111, 110-too hot for prego ladies. When we drive in the car, it feels like the A/C doesn't even work at times, but the kids are better about it than me. I bring a small spray bottle in the car filled with cold water and they love to have me spray their legs and faces, it works for now!

We hope that all of you are doing great and having a good summer!

Baby Update

2009-07-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well...things seem to just get more difficult-lol. Sorry, but this post gives away how stressed and ahhhhh I am at the moment. I went to the perinatal specialist yesterday and after the longest ultrasound in my life she said that I most likely have gestational diabetes and that the baby is actually huge. WOW-well...that's what I was thinking anyway. I still have 5 weeks left and he weights an astounding 7 lbs. and 6 oz. That's stinkin' huge. So, it looks like it'll be a c-section for me this time around which I'm just not so thrilled about. Anywho, the Dr. scared me with a lot of possibilities and then I scared myself with what my imagination could provide on top of that. I have another appointment tomorrow to hopefully evaluate my blood work and get me on meds so the baby isn't stillborn (that was one of her scare, but true tactics). Anyway, we'll see what happens tomorrow & hopefully it's an effective visit. Oh, by the way, we're planning on naming him Jacob Asher Wallace-well, we didn't really choose the Wallace part, it's just part of the package :).

New Picture of Baby

2009-06-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

I was having some complications with this pregnancy, so I recieved yet another ultrasound to make sure baby was ok. This time it was fun to see how big he was because you could actually see his features. He does have Benson's feet-poor thing, but I think he looks like Jared, my younger brother a quite a bit. Well...after you look through his little mashed features, and take away the fact that he looks like he's been boxing and lost, then he looks like my brother.
Everything is ok with baby, so I'm not too worried anymore, but my Dr. is still sending me to a Perinatal Specialist because of past pregnancy and baby complications. That'll kinda stinks cause that means 1.5 hours of driving each way for appointments, but what can I do huh :?

Are You Done Yet?

2009-06-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

Our ward play group meets on Fridays, so today was the day. We all met at the GlennWilde community pool and had a great time. Joshua recognized a little boy from his primary class and they hung out on and off (I was so glad because he still has a hard time going to primary). The little boy started to tell Joshua stories about his sister and his leg & how it bled when he got hurt, and right in the middle Joshua said "Are you done yet?" The little boy (Drew) didn't respond so Joshua tried again "Are you done yet cause' I wanna' go?" I couldn't help but laugh; he was trying to be polite, but missed the mark just a little. Kids say the funniest things. Besides that, I got a burn at 9:30 am, crazy huh?

To Sew or Not to Sew

2009-06-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have so many sewing projects that need my attention...I haven't even started baby blankets yet, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it. I love the sunshine too much to go into a room, with just a window, and sew for hours. Arizona has really grown on me, and I love it...now! We'll see what I say when summer comes huh :)?

Old Friends

2009-05-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

Our first Sunday that we went to church here in Maricopa we walked in and saw Kristi Scoubes (Scoobies) sitting in the row behind us. We were surprised and excited to see her. Kristi & Jonas have two little ones now, Dallin, and a new little girl who is only about 4 weeks old. How small is this world, when we move to a little town outside of Phoenix and find old friends in our ward?! We're excited to see them and have old friends near us again.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2009-05-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

I love Indian curry, especially chicken tikka masala. I was introduced to curry on my mission; there were a ton of curry shops, and it was cheap, good food, so we indulged every once in a while. Since being home, it's been very hard to find a good curry anywhere close to where we live, until now! There are curry shops in the valley, but you have to drive a while to get to them-totally worth it. The only thing is, it's so expensive, never cheap, so I decided to try my hand at making it myself. I looked for a good recipe on the Internet and found one for chicken tikka masala. I was a bit pricey to get all the spices that I didn't have, but it turned out wonderful (not like Bombay House, but good). Here is a pic.

We're Here At Last!

2009-05-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Arizona, and without mishaps or a DVD player! The drive was remarkably smooth and the kids were great. We borrowed a DVD player that ended up not working for us at all, so the kids accepted the idea that it needed to nap. We realized that our kids needed to live in a warmer climate when Hannah saw the Glenn Canyon Dam and asked if it was a swimming pool, and again when she saw a fountain. Joshua has keenly renamed Kanab, Utah, Snaps, Utah-lol. He loves to say snaps. I was a good trip, and now all we need to do is settle in. At first I hated the heat, but it's grown on me a bit. The kids love to play in the yard & have their own rooms; they sleep in them with no problems surprisingly. We have the same cell numbers for now, but will be changing them in the near future-we'll keep youi posted.

Some More

2009-04-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, I found this fabric (Michael Miller) & instantly fell in love with it. It's so adorable! I've learned to order fabric online to find the good stuff, but be careful cause' it's not always safe as I have learned.

I didn't make the wet bag (pic 1), but I have all the supplies & will when I get a bit more time (after the move, I've been forbidden to sew anymore before it-I'm currently addicted to sewing). I posted a pic of the wet bag so you could see a good pic of the fabric I'm using.

For this one I just purchased plain onesies at Wal-Mart, cut out the cutest animals and then sewed them in place. I have three more to do. I'm thinking about putting a matching animal on the bootie too, what do you think-should I? Leave a comment & let me know.

Some Crafts

2009-04-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a few crafts and baby items lately, here is just one that I've been doing. It's called a crayon roll, and it's perfect for keeping kids quiet in church and on road trips. I've done several different ones, but the pics are of this one, it's Joshy's Favorite.

Graduation and more

2009-04-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's been forever since I last posted, and much has happened. Benson graduated in the Taylor Chapel on April 10th. It was a great occasion, but even better we got to hear from the new apostle Elder Anderson and President Clark. A lot of family came up and we had a great time. Best of all we are completely done with all our undergrad work and never have to go back-whoo hooo! We also traveled to Phoenix last weekend to find a place to live and it was-yes 95 degrees in April! Hot, but nice and dry. Anyway, when we got home it was hard to want to go there for the summer over the cool summers here :). We found a place in Maricopa, not too far from where Benson will teach, so that's always nice. We are however moving in a week and a half, and there is so much to do. I have our annual sister's pack trip Thursday-Sunday of next week, and we still need to pack and clean. Hopefully, all will work out great. I've been checking out your posts, but I haven't left any feedback, so here is a general one: we love you and are excited for new moments in your lives! Take care!

We're Moving to Phoenix!!!

2009-04-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Benson has accepted a job offer in the Phoneix area, and we will be moving shortly after his graduation. He graduates on the 10th of April and our projected move date will be in mid May. We're excited to finally be finished with under grad work, and have a new start somewhere that we've never lived before. It'll also be nice to have warm winters where we can hike year round (the summers are a different story :), quite different from Idaho Falls.

We did a lot of deliberating over where we should go, closer to family or to states that pay more (Texas), but we felt strongly about Phoenix. We have 9 close family friends, and mission companions that we'll know there already, plus a few sun birds from the Courtyard that we've kept in touch with. Phoenix has great libraries, community centers, commuity pools and parks so we'll have plenty to do. Phoenix also has great autism services for Joshua, even though he's been or being discharged from all his therapies due to his progress (he will start kindergarten without an IEP-yeah)!

Some ask why we are going so early, it's mainly for me to find a Dr. that I like and trust to deliver our little boy in July/August, and to get things set up, and organized.

Rexburg & Idaho falls have provided great experiences for us while we were here, we will miss the people we have met here, low crime, the Tetons, and Huckleberry picking, as well as great backpacking, but southern Utah is only 5 hours away, as well as lake Powell.

We will be getting new cell phone numbers sometime over the summer, so you can keep in touch with us through e-mail, facebook, or our blog. We love you all and thank you for your friendship and support.

Love,

Benson & Nicole Wallace

P.S. For those of you who haven't been to Phoenix you can check out cool photos at this address: http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Phoenix_Photos.htm

Movin' On

2009-03-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know that I've been neglecting blogging for quite some time, with the last 5 weeks of colds, strep, and sinus infections it's been rather difficult. We are hopefully on the mend and I will be checking all of your blogs & leaving feedback cause' I certainly miss being in touch. We hope that all of you are well and that life is good.

With any luck, I'll be able to find a name that Benson likes for our little boy on the way and we'll be able to start calling him by it. I say luck only because Benson has rejected multiple name suggestions-lol.

Baby Boy!!!

2009-03-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Yep, we're having a boy & he's definitely a Wallace boy. Joshua & Benson both sleep with their arms above their heads and the baby was doing just that during the ultrasound-I had to laugh. The baby is healthy, including a three vessel cord which is a great relief. No names just yet, but hopefully soon. We'll keep you posted.

Baby Legs Tutorial

2009-02-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Here is the address for the baby legs tutorial-http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyhopes/sets/72157594274454468/ - Just click on each picture for instructions.

Tips for sewing knit fabrics:

Line up seams
Stretch cuff to match baby leg when sewing
Leave 1/4 inch seam allowance
Have fun!

The first pair I did, looked like the first pair, but it gets easier quick. Contact me for help if you need it. Good Luck!

Pictures

2009-02-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

OK, here are the pictures I promised to post of my latest crafts. I already posted the burp cloths, so here are the rest.

Baby Legs-these go from the ankle to the thigh, we tuck socks under them and they look like tights. Only $1-2 a pair. You can go to babylegs.com to view the real thing. There are two of each, but I only photographed one :).

Tutu-OK, this didn't turn out like I'd hoped, I actually have a far better pattern for my second attempt which will happen shortly. Joshua likes to put it on his head like an afro.

Hair Clips- Here is my first attempt at hair clips for Hannah, they don't look too bad, but we do live in Idaho.

We love you all!

Burp Cloths

2009-02-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

I've made these burp cloths for a good friend of mine who is probably wondering where they are. Mostly because they've been occupying a nice spot on my sewing table for a few weeks, but here is a sneak peek. I have to admit I am a transportaion freak with fabric (I think Joshua helps me with that one); I find that cars, buses, and air planes are adorable.

P.S. Cute boy fabric has been in for about 2 years, but I have yet to find anything I love for girls, stinks I know.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

What a fun day for kids and adults! We woke up to gift bags filled with treats and little stuffed animals. The kids got a rose while Mommy got a dozen-I like that part! We're planning a fun family lunch at Carinos and a dinner at home. Joshua just can't stop talking about Valentine's Day and how fun it is, that part makes it so much more fun. We hope you all have a great Valentine's Day!!!

Tutu, Baby Legs & More

2009-02-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since our last update, partly due to being busy and partly due to being sick from baby. I have however been busy sewing various projects and have worked on some fun things. I made Hannah a ballerina tutu, and two pairs of baby legs. A friend told me about the existence of baby legs & what exactly they were, so I decided to make my own. They are essentially baby leg warmers that go up to the thigh to keep baby warm. They are so cute & the differing designs make them even more adorable. I'll post pics when I can round them up, Hannah loves to wear them around the house, so I have to search for them. That'll teach me to let them out of my sight before taking pics :)! We love you all & hope that things are going well for you.

Birthdays

2009-01-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

Joshua & hannah both celebrated their birthdays this month. Hannah turned 3 on the 4th, and Joshua turned 5 on the 21st. They loved being a year older, gifts, cake and fun. I've had troulbe loading Hannah's birthday pics, so only Joshua's are below.

Autism is Real

2009-01-25T11:20:00.001-08:00

This is not directed toward our readers, we love you, but I have been bombarded with ignorant and hurtful comments lately and I just needed to say something, and more than just in my journal.
I've had the unfortunate opportunity to be around a lot of people lately (mostly our ward or people I have callings near) that are ignorant to autism and know nothing of it. I've been told that autism doesn't exist, and that I just don't know how to parent my child because God is sending them down smarter now. That I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to autism, I really don't know what autism looks like, and many more things such as this. I am so fed up with it. Ignorance is ugly, and when one chooses to spill it out on others its hurtful. It's taken me years to develop "tough skin," but it's sad when it's so close to me now. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss our old friends from Rexburg, who were so compassionate toward us, and our trials. I felt loved, and supported, we miss you dearly. I know that things happen for a reason and maybe God is helping to strengthen me for what lies ahead. I don't know. I do know that good friends are worth their weight in gold, and life can never be too full of them. Again, please don't take this to heart, it is not directed toward our readers, I just really needed to get this off my chest.

Baby

2009-01-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

I had my first ultrasound this week and got to see the baby-it was so exciting & it finally made it real for me. I've been so sick, & it's nice to see that it's for a good cause. He (I like to call him a he) waved to us and was just so darn cute. I could see his little fingers, toes, ears and mouth. I'm still convinced it's a boy, but Benson won't say either way what he thinks were having. I think it's another Wallace boy- his booty is as small as Joshua's lol. I can't think of any boy names that I like enough to say it everyday, any suggestions?

In the first picture the white spot above his face is his hand & the dark spot on his belly is his heart.

Are You Prepared?

2009-01-19T14:37:00.001-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about family preparedness lately, not just food storage, but financial storage as well. There is so much we can do with a little budget. I've talked with several of my friends and they have all said the same thing, they too have felt a strong need to beef up their food storage. For those that don't have one, it's seriously so easy to do. Start today. Purchase staples first, they will keep you alive. Then, move to other things such as family favorites and extras. I always get stuff on sale, I wait, and wait (sometimes), but I've never had to pay full price. Also I use coupons, -like mad! Idaho Falls takes expired coupons too (I used one a few months ago that had expired in 2003). Also, If I don't have a coupon for what I want, I go to the store during busy hours (to ensure that they don't have the items stocked), and get rain checks. Then I go to http://www.thecouponclippers.com/ and purchase (for pennies each) the coupons I need. I've saved so much doing this, one bill I saved over $200.00. We've always been poor & in school, and this has really helped us save tons! We love all of you, so I thought I'd post a little note to help out where I can.
Also, this summer my sister and I canned like crazy (I'd never canned before, but secretly, I've been wanting to learn for quite sometime). Now I have all the salsa, apple pie filling, applesauce, pickles, jam, green beans & peaches for a year. We got the peaches and apples free from neighbors too. The rest of it came from my sister's garden, except some salsa ingredients, and the berries I picked at a farm.
I did feel like a pioneer, but I felt industrious, frugal, and thrift at the same time. I'm not saying that some of my canned goods are not cosmetically challanged, but we have them. I was also able to get the canning jars from my Mother-in-law who didn't want them anymore.
Once I made a commitment to myself to start storing, opportunities opened up for us to expand. God will bless you, like He has us, and many others & it's really possible with scarce resources. Happy storing!
P.S. This is a great site to get started on storing: http://blog.totallyready.com/

Student Teaching

2009-01-16T12:38:00.001-08:00

Benson has started his student teaching and lickily Sand Creek Middle School is just a few blocks away. His corresponding teacher is really nice and he loves it. Though it seems he's always gone, we only have till the begining of April & then we're done!!! I can't say just how excited we are to be done (for now at least).

It's OK, God's Spirit Is With You

2009-01-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Joshua, Hannah & I were playing downstairs. After a while, Hannah wanted to get one of her toys from her room, but she doesn't like going upstairs alone. I told her to go ahead and get it and that there was nothing to worry about. Then Joshua said "it's ok Hannah, God's Spirit is with you." Hannah turned and went right up with no problems, it was so cute to see Joshua teaching Hannah about spiritual things.

Is God Here?

2009-01-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

This morning while eating breakfast Joshua paused, then asked "Is God Here?" It was so cute because he really wanted to know. I told him that His Spirit was here. Then he said "are there angels here?" I said yes, but we just can't see them. He wanted to know why & I explained. It was a fun breakfast full of unexpected things. Kids are the greatest!

Sewing Again

2009-01-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I last used my sewing machine, mainly because I broke it, but it has been fixed for a few months. I finally decided to pull it back out and I'm thinking about using it, but I haven't yet. Hannah and I did go purchase some fabric for the new baby, she liked to tell me (in a very loud voice) what the "boy" baby in my stomach wanted for blankets, it was really cute! We did however select boy fabric for the job, so if it's the other model, we'll have to go get some more fabric. I am thoroughly convinced it's a boy, but we'll see. I've felt that there's been one waiting for quite some time to come into our family.

Is There Really Life Out There?

2009-01-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, WOW! I've been so sick for so long that I forgot that the world existed. I can now function at about 70%, but I'll take it. The first trimester always renders me deathly ill, although I am completely unable to vomit. I think if I could, I'd feel better, but such is life huh? Sorry about the details, but the women will understand more than the men. We have returned to life as usuall, meaning the males of our home are back in school, but I have three+ weeks of cleaning on my hands and it's just not a pretty sight. With a little help from iTunes and my hubby, we'll be back on track in no time. Oh and we just celebrated Hannha's 3rd birthday yesterday, she couldn't be happier, what a cutie. We'll post pics at a later date. We love you all!

Our New Year!

2009-01-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

Well, one more year has passed, and we've had many experiences and happenings to keep us busy in 2008. We're excited for this new year and for what it holds for us. Only two things we know for sure-a new baby and a move to some far away & warm place where it never snows! Joshua and Benson love the snow, and Hannah & I loathe it. We're hoping for Texas-it's our second choice to Europe which we sadly felt that it was not the time for us to be there (we're still very sad about it, but God has blessings for us here). At the end of the day, we're still quite unsure where we'll be, only time and a good salary will tell :). We hope that all of you have a good year in 2009, and that many blessings will come your way!

Dear Santa

2008-12-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

This year we helped the kids write letters to Santa, and we got some pretty typical and interesting answers. You will find Hannah & Joshua's letter below.

Dear Santa,

My name is Hannah Wallace, and I am 2 years old. I have been a good girl this year. I would like you to bring me a dolly, a brown puppy, and a pink kitty cat. I would also like a carrot. Thank you.

Hannah Wallace

Dear Santa,

My name is Joshua Wallace, and I am 4 years old. I have been pretty good this year. I would like for you to bring me some cars for Christmas. I would like them to be blue. Be safe with all your reindeer and flying in your sleigh.

Thank you,
Joshua Wallace

We had to laugh at some of their requests, they are so cute. Last year after Christmas, Joshua asked if Santa could come over everyday.

Christmas Time!

2008-12-16T15:26:00.001-08:00

We love this time of year when families get together, serve each other and think more often of Jesus Christ. Everyone seems to be happier, and days seem be brighter. Our children think of Christmas each day with anticipation for (hopefully the Savior's birth, at least that's what we've been teaching them), gifts and family too. It's a great time of year, and we wanted to wish all of you a very merry Christmas, and may the joy of the Savior rest upon all of your hearts. We love you and God Bless!

Setting the Record Straight

2008-12-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I posted a long list of things I had and hadn't done in my life thus far. One thing on the list that I recieved was if I had or had not gone skinny dipping. Of course I haven't, but I wanted to see what reaction I could get out of those who know us. I laughed hard as I only got one response- thanks Jill for being brave. Anyway, I think Im pretty brave, just not brave enought to go skinny dipping.

School Pictures

2008-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Joshua had his picture day at his preschool, and his teacher let me bring in Hannah too. She was an absolute handful, and the wait was really long, but the pics came out good, so the wait was worth it. We were worried about how the pics would turn out because when it was Hannah's turn she would only stick out her tongue for the photographer-I was so embarrassed. She must have taken a quick shot in between tongue showings to capture hannah's photo. Joshua is so sweet, he sat, smiled and waited for the photographer to take his picture.

We're Expecting Again!!!

2008-12-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, we're expecting again. We had planned to keep it hush hush cause I'm only about 6 weeks along, & we weren't sure how baby would do during my upcoming surgury. Our mistake was telling the kids so early because Joshua tells everyone he can that his Mommy has a baby in her tummy. We thought we'd better tell you before you found out from someone else, or knowing Joshua, he might even call you to let you know. The kids are so excited, they'll come up and kiss my tummy and talk to baby, they always saw goodnight to it too. Then some of the things they say are not quite as cute like when Hannah said "when the baby pops out on the table we can see it then." I remind her that baby won't pop out on the table, hopefully not anyway.

Joshua's Been Mainstreamed!!!

2008-12-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

Most, if not all of you know that Joshua was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (there are 5 types ) in 2006. He has received therapy though since the age of 7 months due to other developmental concerns. This has been a big help because the therapy for autism is administered by the same professionals that he was already seeing. So, in short, he was a year and a half ahead with therapy. His IEP meeting was this week with his school teacher and she said that he no longer qualifies for school services, including preschool. She said that he was scoring far higher than his typical peers in all areas of development. Joshua will attend regular classes for his schooling-YEAH!!! The only way he stands out now is at home, that's the only place he has tantrums-lucky us huh :)! Wow, I can't believe I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it's been 4 (almost 5 years) of grueling and exhausting therapy, but now it's not-yeah again!

I'm a Present!

2008-12-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

We recently put up our Chrstmas tree with the kids and they can't seem to look at it enough or find new things to hang on it. Last night Joshua layed far under the tree and said "Look everyone, I'm a present under the tree, who wants to open me?" Hannah quickly said "me." It was so funny! The things kids say are often rather hilarious, I love it when their innocence shines through & reminds us even more that they are from God.

Joshua's An Angel!

2008-11-26T01:25:00.000-08:00

Last week I was doing the dishes while Benson was on the computer. Joshua was just hanging out by Benson when he turned and said "Mommy, you sure do a good job on the house." It was so sweet and so innocent...I hugged him for about five minutes and told him how nice that was to hear from him. He's always been there with profound comments, and loads of love. What would we do without him!

There's a Bee in My Eye

2008-11-14T06:51:00.001-08:00

Hannah started rubbing her eye and then said "There's a bee in my eye." I tried really hard not to laugh, and then said does your eye sting a little bit, and she said "Yes" in this cute little voice. the things kids say are hilarious!

Would you like sauce with that?

2008-11-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

Benson needed two cups, two lids and two straws for a gravity experiment with the kids at the middle school for one of his classes. Taco bell happens to be next to the school so we decided to go there to obtain the materials. This is a first hand account of what happened.

TB: Hi, can I take your order?

Me: Yeah, can I get two cups, two lids, and two straws?

TB: Two cups, two lids, and two straws?

Me: Yeah.

TB: Would you like any sauce with that?

Me: No.

TB: Ok...that will be...uh...nothing at the window.

We had a good laugh cause' the manager was the one who took the order. Here's a pic of the infamous two cups, two lids, and two straws.

Hannah's Potty Trained!!!

2008-11-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Finally, after months of half heartedly potty training Hannah is able to stay dry, even during most nights and naps. We were just so tired still working with Joshua on his potty training that we kind of over looked Hannah for a while (Joshua is great at peein' it's just the medical problems with poopin' that he has trouble with). We were glad that she took the initiative after seeing her new undies, and she had it down in about three days.

2008-11-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hannah at her best!

2008-11-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Halloween was so much fun this year, the kids were in awe that people just gave candy away. Hannah was a bee, and Joshua was a lion. They were in heaven the whole night due to the free candy!

Hannah & Joshua

2008-10-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Between Hannah & Joshua there's never a dull moment in our house

Cascade Canyon Pack Trip

2008-10-31T06:09:00.001-07:00

For our Wedding Anniversary this year Benson & I decided to buy lightweight camping gear & go on a back country pack trip. We got a permit for Cascade & Paintbrush Canyons in Jackson, left our kiddies with my sister and had three days to ourselves. It was so much fun, except for the blisters, and the bear canister that we had to carry (regulation). The canister weighed 7 lbs. when empty and quite a bit more when full. Luckily we didn't see any bears, but we did see quite a few moose. We saw two bull moose on the way in and when we woke up the first morning there was a cow, and a bull moose 20 yards from our tent door just laying down (we think they spent the night with us). The hike was so beautiful, I've never seen so many incredible views! We hiked in the canyon just north of the Grand Teton.

California Again

2008-07-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

One of my missionary companions came over from Paris for a visit, and Benson let me take off to California with no kids for five days! It was so much fun. Cecil and I hadn't seen each other since I saw her in Paris 4 years ago, so it was a great reunion. We started in Salt Lake and drove to California, and we had free accomidations at my Mom's house in between sightseeing. We spent our first day in San Francisco. We saw many attractions noted below:
1. Coit Tower-it was fun to go up to the top and see all of S.F.
2. Bay Cruise-a boat cruise of the bay (fun, but cold).
3. Pier 39, shops, crab chowder and fun.
4. Riding the trolly from Ghiradelli to Union Sqaure.
5. Shopping at Union
6. Driving down Lombard St.
7. Baker beach in Presidio
8. Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge.
9. Muir Woods (Redwoods)
10. Downtown Sausilito.
The next day we relaxed and talked of old friends and the mission, then enjoyed In-n-Out Burger (well I did, but she actually prefered Wendy's). We shopped a lot, Cecil really likes to shop. We went to the Jelly Belly factory, and through Sacramento on our way back. On the way back we talked almost the whole way, it was great, kinda like being back on the mission again. Going five days without the kids was weird, yet refreshing. It's nice to get away, but it's always great to come home to your family.
Check out the seven pics on the right!

Another Wyoming visit

2008-06-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's funny that I only write after we go see Melissa and Ryan Mikesell, but I guess they get us pumped up to blog. We had a great weekend in Wyoming although the weather wasn't agreeing with us. Celeste is beautiful! She was so much fun to hold, and watch. Joshua and Hannah sure loved her, a little too closely at times too. She looks just like Ryan, but I know that Melissa did the carrying. Melissa kepy saying "you know you want another one." We do of course but all in good time, Hannah's birth was difficult for me, I guess I need a little more recoupe time. We heard that we had just missed the Walton's again, it's funny how we keep doing that.
We also just saw the Wheats! They were able to stop by Idaho Falls on their way back to SLC. from Rexburg. It was so awesome to see our Texan friends again. Texas is so far away. We were able to catch up, and laugh with the Wheaties again. It felt like we were at the courtyard again, just with better accomodations. We are so grateful to have met so many awesome people at the Courtyard, we sure had fun! We miss all of you and hope that you are doing well.

The Wallaces

Weekend in Wyoming

2007-06-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

We just got back from visiting our friends Ryan and Melissa Mikesell in Riverton, Wyoming. We drove there with some of our other friends David and Jen Wheat. It was a nice get away and great to see the Mikesells again. The drive is beautiful! We pass the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and in doing so we saw several herds of buffalo, elk, and deer. While we were in Riverton we spent the whole day Saturday hiking up to several waterfalls, it was a lot of fun. We had a backpack for Hannah and all six of us took turns holding Joshua. At the end of the trail are several pools of water, and one rock slide down a waterfall that we slid off of into the water. It was fun, but very cold. It was a fantastic weekend!